These 58-caliber rifle cartridges are faithfully constructed from the specifications provided by the U.S. Army 1860 Ordnance Manual. This style was, by far, the most common cartridge of the Civil War. They consist of the outer wrapper choked and tied at the nose, a lubricated and swage-sized 575-caliber Minie ball (technically known as the Burton ball) cast on a Lyman 575213OS mold, and a powder cylinder, just like the originals. The bullets are lubricated with a period-correct composition of real beef tallow and beeswax as specified in the Ordnance Manual, before being made into cartridges.

These cartridges do not contain any black powder. You'll need to fill the cartridge with powder (a brass funnel works great), and fold the tail closed. Now you're ready to shoot. As these cartridges are made to the 1860's military specification, the powder cylinder will hold up to about 65 grains of 2F black powder (only use a charge that is safe for your musket). Fill up your cartridge box, and live-fire your rifle-musket the way it was historically done during the War Between the States. Please call or e-mail me if you need more than 40 rounds.

Now available with Williams Cleaner Bullets! By 1863, a number of Williams Patent bullets were included in every 10-round pack of rifle-musket cartridges. The cartridges with the Williams bullets are in blue paper, which was done historically to distinguish the Williams from the Minie bullets.

You will receive the cartridges ready for filling like those on the right; after you fill them with powder and fold the tails, they'll look like the rounds on the left

58-cal Minie Cartridges with Williams Cleaners

58-caliber Minie Cartridges

"Cartridges constructed on these principles present a neat and convenient form for carrying the powder and bullet attached to each other. So far as they have been tried in the hands of the troops, they have been found to answer a good purpose." -- U.S. Army Ordnance Report, 1856